The annual Alton tree lighting will be held at Lincoln-Douglas Square on Nov. 17. (Photo courtesy of visitalton.com)

NOV.  16

Collinsville COC Brown Bag Lunch
Thursday, noon-1 p.m.
221 W. Main St.
Free

Bring your lunch and get the opportunity to network with members of the Chamber of Commerce. Bring a canned item or coats, mittens and gloves to donate. For more information, call (618) 344-2884.

Taste of Downtown Alton
Thursday, 5-8 p.m.
Argosy Casino, 1 Piasa St.
$15

Alton Main Street will benefit from this event which features samples from local eating establishments. For more information, call (618) 463-1016.

Brewery Lights at Anheuser-Busch
Thursday, 5-10 p.m.
S. 12th St. & Lynch St., St Louis, Mo.
Free

Guests 21 and older will receive a wristband for five 5-oz. samples of beer. There will be non-alcoholic beverages for everyone else. Walk around and enjoy the lights of the fire pits, Bud Light Ice Rink, and Budweiser Clydesdales. For more information, visit brewerylights.com/st-louis.html.

Astronomy Field Experience
Thursday, 7-8:30 p.m.
Talahi Lodge, 2213 S. Levis Lane, Godfrey
Free

Participants will navigate the preserve with naturalist Eddie Agha to observe and record constellations. No telescopes are needed, but if you have a pair of binoculars you are welcome to bring those for observation. For more information, call (618) 467-2521.

Marquette Catholic High School Theatre Troupe Presents “Harvey”
Thursday, 7:30-9:15 p.m.
219 E. 4th St., Alton
Free

Classic play about a 6-foot imaginary rabbit. For more information, call (618) 463-0580.

NOV.  17

Frauenabend in Maeystown
Friday, 4:30-8:30 p.m.
Village of Maeystown
Free

Frauenabend (Ladies Night Out) will feature unique dining, shopping and pampering for the holidays. For more information, call (618) 580-5875.

“Holidays at the White House”
Begins Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, 212 N. 6th St., Springfield
$15; seniors $10; military $10; youth 5-16 $6

New exhibit shows how various presidents celebrated Christmas. For more information, visit president lincoln.illinois.gov.

Free Lunch Friday in Edwardsville
Friday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Immanuel United Methodist Church, 800 N. Main St.
Free

Enjoy turkey and all the fixings. For more information, call (618) 656-4658.

Tree Lighting at Lincoln-Douglas Square
Friday, 6-7 p.m.
100-198 Market St., Alton
Free

Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive on the trolley at 6, followed by caroling, cookies and hot cocoa. Mayor Brant Walker will light the tree at 6:45. Between the hours of 5:30-7:30 free trolley rides will be provided between Lincoln-Douglas Square and the Riverbender.com Community Center, 200 W. 3rd St. Bring canned food donations to help the Salvation Army food pantry. Downtown businesses will be open for shopping. For more information, visit downtwonalton.com.

NOV.  17-19

Lebanon Victorian Holiday
Fri. & Sat., 5-9 p.m.; Sun. noon-5
211 W. St. Louis St., Lebanon
Free

Join the Ole’ Lamplighter as he strolls the streets and lights up the rooftops and town Christmas tree. Event includes carriage rides, children’s activities, and holiday treats and sweets. For more information, call (618) 537-4976.

NOV.  17-DEC.  31

Way of Lights at National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows
Mon.-Thu., 5-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sun., 5-10 p.m.
442 S. Demazenod Dr., Belleville
Free

Drive through the lights, ride a camel and take in the Lego display. For more information, call (618) 397-6700.

Magic of Lights
Dusk to 10 p.m.
Gateway Motorsports Park, 700 Raceway Blvd., Madison
$25 per car

Drive through the 1.5 mile path of LED displays and digital animations. Cardinals Care receives a portion of the entry fee. For more information, call (618) 215-8888.

NOV.  18

Fingerprint the Kids at Collinsville McDonald’s
Saturday, 1-3 p.m.
503 Beltline Rd., Collinsville
Free

The Collinsville Police Department will be fingerprinting children so that they can be identified in the case of misadventure. For more information, call (618) 344-2131.

Turkey Tales in the Library
Saturday, 10-11 a.m.
Wood River Public Library, 326 E. Ferguson Ave.
$5

Young ones will hear the story “Turkey Trouble,” hunt for turkeys in the library, and stuff a stuffed animal friend, a turkey in the style of Build-a-Bear. Register by calling (618) 254-4832.

SAT or ACT Practice Test in O’Fallon
Saturday, 10:50 a.m.-2:20 p.m.
O’Fallon Public Library, 1209 Civic Plaza
Admission fee

The Sylvan Learning Center hosts this practice test for teens. For more information, call (618) 632-3783.

Justice League Play
Saturday, 2-3:30 p.m.
Collinsville Memorial Library, 408 W. Main St.
Free

In celebration of the t new movie, the library will offer trivia, games, crafts, a story, and a special screening of the animated movie “Justice League: Throne of Atlantis.” For more information, call (618) 344-1112.

Santa’s Holiday Avenue Parade and Chili Cook-off
Saturday, all day
Downtown Granite City
Free

Granite City’s Annual Christmas Parade will start at 1 p.m. at 27th and Madison Avenue and work its way downtown to the front of City Hall. Pictures with Santa at the Granite City Cinema will follow the parade. The Chili Cook-off will take place at Civic Park at Niedringhaus and Edison. For more information, call (618) 452-6200.

Bling! Bubbly! Blessings!
Saturday, 7-10 p.m.
Villa Marie Winery, 6633 E. Main St., Maryville
$30

Event includes wine and cheese and jewelry giveaways and benefits National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern IL & Furry Friends Recovery. For more information, call (618) 558-7938.

Holiday Hunt in Columbia
Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Historic Main Street
Free

While the guys are hunting, ladies can have their own fun. For more information, call (618) 281-4672.

Learn to Crochet at the Library
Saturday, 11 a.m.-noon
Collinsville Memorial Library, 408 W. Main St.
Free

Bring your own yarn and a crochet hook size H. No previous experience necessary. For more information, call (618) 344-1112.

Dueling Pianos in Grafton
Saturday, 7-9 p.m.
Grafton Winery, 21028 Eckert Orchard Rd.
$20

Charlie Brockus and Ian Taul will duel it out. The Great Rivers Choral Society will benefit. For more information, call (618) 401-1450.

NOV.  18-19

The Nutcracker Ballet & Concert
Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30 and 5 p.m.
Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1549 Frank Scott Pkwy West, Belleville
$20

Belleville Philharmonic Society and the Belleville School of Ballet will perform the classic ballet. For more information, call (618) 277-1373.

Old Cathedral Christmas Bazaar
Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Saints Peter & Paul Old Cathedral, 801 State St., Alton
Free

Event includes a bake sale, Thanksgiving Dinner from 4-7, and live Christmas tree lot on Saturday. For more information, call (618) 530-6044.

Belleville Flea Market
Sat., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun., 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Belle-Clair Fairgrounds, 200 S. Belt East
Free admission; parking $3

Hundreds of vendors selling antiques, vintage and collectibles. For more information, call (618) 235-0666.

NOV.  18-DEC.  22

O’Fallon Stuff the Bus with Toys
Noon-3 p.m.
Outside Walmart, 1530 W. US-50, O’Fallon

Local paramedics and EMTs collect toys for local area children. Toys can also be dropped off at any of the stations. For more information, (618) 624-4500.

NOV.  19

Poinsettia Wonderland
Sunday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Millstadt Gardens, 6667 Route 158, Millstadt
Free

See the largest display of poinsettias in the area. Event includes holiday entertainment, cookies and crafters. For more information, call (618) 281-7144.

NOV.  20

Kids’ Movie Night in East Alton
Monday, 4:30-6 p.m.
East Alton Public Library, 250 Washington Ave.
Free

“Alvin and the Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration!” The movie is G rated. For more information, call (618) 259-0787.

NOV.  21

Wilderness Walk
Tuesday, 10 a.m.-noon
Watershed Nature Center, 1591 Tower Ave., Edwardsville
Free

Take a hike guided by Master Naturalist Judy. No registration required; all ages welcome. For more information, call (618) 692-7578.

Grief Support Group for Women
Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Bethalto Women’s Ministry Center, 555 E. Bethalto Dr.
Free

Safe environment for women to share experiences and receive emotional support and understanding. Pre-register by calling (618) 803-9078.

Movie at the Wildey Theatre: Alice’s Restaurant
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Wildey Theatre, 252 N. main St., Edwardsville
$2

Enjoy the movie on the big screen. For more information, call (618) 307-1750.

NOV.  22

Thanksgiving Eve Party for Children
Wednesday, 1-3 p.m.
Edwardsville Children’s Museum, 722 Holyoake Rd.
$15

Youth join in a fun-filled afternoon designed to inspire gratefulness. Caregivers should plan to attend. Register by calling, (618) 692-2094.

Journeyman: A Tribute to Eric Clapton
Wednesday, 8 p.m.
Wildey Theatre, 252 N. Main St., Edwardsville
$20-$22

Celebrate Thanksgiving Eve with guitarist Shaun Hague. For more information, call (618) 307-1750.

–Metro East Calendar of Events Nov. 15 – Nov. 22–